Our chart above is reinforced by David Frost’s opening salvo in his post-talks statement yesterday:-

“The major obstacle to this is the EU’s insistence on including a set of novel and unbalanced proposals on the so-called “level playing field” which would bind this country to EU law or standards, or determine our domestic legal regimes, in a way that is unprecedented in Free Trade Agreements and not envisaged in the Political Declaration.”

About the timings of the talks

The agendas for each of the three sessions have been drawn up by the EU, not the UK.

Statistical note: As far as we are aware, none of the participants in these (supposed) trade talks have kept a stopwatch running during each session, so we have relied on the various agenda programmes in analysing how much time has been spent in each area.

The war of words yesterday, at the end of Round Three

1. David Frost, UK Chief Negotiator:

“We have just completed our third negotiating round with the EU, once again by videoconference. I would like to thank Michel Barnier and the negotiating teams on both sides for their determination in making the talks work in these difficult circumstances.

“I regret however that we made very little progress towards agreement on the most significant outstanding issues between us.

“It is very clear that a standard Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement, with other key agreements on issues like law enforcement, civil nuclear, and aviation alongside, all in line with the Political Declaration, could be agreed without major difficulties in the time available. Both sides have tabled full legal texts, there are plenty of precedents, and there is clearly a good understanding between negotiators.

“The major obstacle to this is the EU’s insistence on including a set of novel and unbalanced proposals on the so-called “level playing field” which would bind this country to EU law or standards, or determine our domestic legal regimes, in a way that is unprecedented in Free Trade Agreements and not envisaged in the Political Declaration. As soon as the EU recognises that we will not conclude an agreement on that basis, we will be able to make progress.

“Although we have had useful discussions on fisheries on the basis of our draft legal text, the EU continues to insist on fisheries arrangements and access to UK fishing waters in a way that is incompatible with our future status as an independent coastal state. We are fully committed to agreeing fishing provisions in line with the Political Declaration, but we cannot agree arrangements that are manifestly unbalanced and against the interests of the UK fishing industry.

“It is hard to understand why the EU insists on an ideological approach which makes it more difficult to reach a mutually beneficial agreement.

“We very much need a change in EU approach for the next Round beginning on 1 June. In order to facilitate those discussions, we intend to make public all the UK draft legal texts during next week so that the EU’s Member States and interested observers can see our approach in detail.

“The UK will continue to work hard to find an agreement, for as long as there is a constructive process in being, and continues to believe that this is possible.”

2. Michel Barnier, European Union Commission’s Chief Negotiator:

Monsieur Barnier’s remarks are always very lengthy compared to the succinct reports of David Frost. In this case we are talking 2,414 words from the EU side versus 386 words from the UK side.

Observations

Even a cursory read of Michel Barnier's statement confirms our opinion that there is currently not the slightest chance that a trade deal will be agreed with the EU. As things stand, it would not matter if the Transition Period were extended for five years - the sides are too far apart. Our longest-standing readers know that we have argued since before the EU Referendum that the EU would not do a sensible trade deal with the UK. For the EU zealots in Brussels this is about their extremist ideology, not business, jobs and livelihoods.

Readers may find some of our time analysis of the Brexit “trade” talks surprising. We suspect that most people in the United Kingdom – insofar as they know much about these talks at all given the BBC’s obsession with the Coronavirus – will assume that these talks are about trade.

These talks are mostly not about trade as most people would understand it

All international trade talks these days seem to have spiralled out of control, with bureaucrats instead of business people conducting them. Business folk would get straight to the heart of the matter: the terms of trade between the two parties. Bureaucrats – especially Eurocrats - want to talk about global controls, societal issues, and combining ideological aspirations, amongst other things.

David Frost and Boris Johnson continue to show the bulldog spirit

Readers will remember the supine incompetence of the Theresa May administration and its negotiating team, from 2016-2019. Years of dealing with these embarrassing people has clearly left the EU thinking that it can adopt similar tactics with the Johnson administration. How wrong they have been.

We thoroughly welcome the robust, intelligent approach of David Frost and his team and it is clear that this has the full backing of the Prime Minister.

Will the Eurocrats get it?

The EU has a massive goods trade surplus with the UK which came to €124.4 BILLION last year alone. (Approx £111 billion GBP.) It might be assumed that the EU would wish to keep this lucrative trade going. The Rt Hon Sir John Redwood MP amongst others has frequently pointed out what a generous offer the UK has made in this regard.

Instead it seems that the EU apparatchiks would rather spend their time talking about all manner of touchy-feely nonsense, as well as making absurd demands which no right-minded country anywhere in the world would accept – unless perhaps if it had been defeated in battle.

Only six weeks to go - Will talks collapse next month?

In just over six weeks’ time the EU and UK will either have to agree to extend the Transition Period beyond 31 December this year, or not.

Built into the Withdrawal Agreement signed by the Prime Minister in January is the date of 30 June. This is the deadline for agreeing an extension to the Transition Period – something which the EU is now desperate to see. It is also the deadline for a new fisheries agreement.

The Government is so far showing no signs of wishing to extend, but then we’ve all been here before. It is absolutely imperative that the Transition Period and the UK’s current colony status ends as early as possible, and certainly no later than 31 December this year. We are still paying the EU vast annual sums, and we are still under the jurisdiction of the EU’s Court of Justice, but with no votes and no say on anything. This travesty must end.

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Reader Comments 16

1. Sharon... Wales , Saturday, May 16, 2020, 07:00:

I almost feel sorry for Europrats, because they know their days are numbered. Their only hope of salvation is keeping us firmly under EU control, which would defeat the object of leaving. Thank god Mrs May is no longer able to sell us down the river. I just hope Boris and Co have been preparing for no deal, as it's impossible to deal these Ostriches.

2. David R , Saturday, May 16, 2020, 07:12:

I agree with Facts4EU.org, I never thought Negotiations with the EU would result in a Final Agreement, any Agreement, whether it be Trade or otherwise. The EU has set about Negotiations totally dishonestly on the pretext it was about trade. It is NOT, it is about CONTROL of UK & SUBSCRIPTIONS (MONEY). Brexiteers know that & I am glad Fact4EU make the evidence clear

3. Sydney Ashurst , Saturday, May 16, 2020, 08:32:

The Brussels Commission is an inflexible bureaucratic organisation as demonstrated by Marcel Barnier. If he remains in charge the talks are bound to fail. The French still have fanciful ideas of their diplomatic might.
Aviation could be all wrapped up with one signature on a new ICAO Air Service Agreement. We have one with the USA effective from the end of the transition period.

4. Concerned , Saturday, May 16, 2020, 11:53:

Excellent article and comments, the only people I feel sorry for are the indigenous English, Welsh, Irish and Scottish who have been shafter for decades by the EU and their own establishment - none of which want to leave the EU so ther have spent 4.5 years farting around on the pretext of making a deal. It is clear the EU would never deal unless we prostrated ourselves to the stupidity of the Euro and even far worse no borders and the equally stupid ECJ. You could see it on the smirking faces in 2016 when they were so convinced that the people wold vote to keep them on the gravy train.

5. Andy , Saturday, May 16, 2020, 12:34:

I think if you are realistic it was always a hopeless task. The mood music right from the start was unrelentingly aggressive and hostile. There must be NO extension to Transition and actually the best policy would be to terminate Transition at the end of June. I see no reason to continuing to be bound by EU Laws and to fund the damn thing. I would also denounce the Withdrawal Agreement which was signed on the basic understanding that a Free Trade Agreement would be forthcoming. It was a lie.

6. andy nuneaton , Saturday, May 16, 2020, 12:48:

The EU weaponise Covid-19 to delay and delay.....aided by the BBC, ITV and Sky

7. Andrew Maxwell , Saturday, May 16, 2020, 14:25:

No Deal..No ECJ...but the UK fishing industry has to take some of the blame, as they have sold quotas to the E.U...so you can’t have your cake and eat it....you can’t have the money and the fish...I agree the U.K. should control its own waters..and determine the rules...I also agree that as a sovereign coastal country we are free from E.U. control..and therefore the “level playing field” malarkey is the E.U. invention of tying the UK to the laws of the EU is NOT acceptable. It is very clear that their is no cohesion and the EU still thinks we are in the EU, even though we left at the end of January.
There must not be any extension, and we must prepare for WTO rules to be implemented on January 1st 2021. Whoa betide any slippery hokum pokum by the Government..the people will not forgive them
If the EU don’t want to do an aviation deal..don’t worry..the UK control the air space Up to 80% of all Oceanic traffic passes through the Shanwick Oceanic Control Area (OCA), which is airspace controlled by the United Kingdom...if the EU want to cut the noises of to spite their faces..let them..we hold most of the trump cards In trade now...Oh what about Eire I hear...urr what about Eire..Coveny and Varadkar are the mouth pieces of the EU..I am sure they can sort some form of ferry to the mainland instead of traveling through the U.K. ...but we’re are the trade agreements with Australia/New Zealand/Japan/India/Brazil/the commenwealth and all the other countries we were told would happen as an EU member, the UK was automatically part of around 40 trade deals the EU had struck with more than 70 countries.
The UK has been trying to copy these arrangements. So far, 19 such deals, covering 50 countries or territories, have been rolled over. These deals represent just over 8% of total UK trade. What is happening with the rest

8. Chris M , Saturday, May 16, 2020, 14:47:

Leave,no deal,now and yes there are still people out there still trying to over turn decision to leave even now

9. Diane , Saturday, May 16, 2020, 16:56:

The EU is simply not & never has been interested in doing sectoral deals. They want it wrapped up into an overall 'deal' where they pull all the strings & exert their one size fits all and ever increasing oversight and ultimate control over our trade, competitiveness, social, environmental, some taxes, economic policies and under the thumb through the Court of Justice of the European Union ( I refuse to use the acronym ECJ ) It's reported in some news outlets based on 'surveys' that the vast majority in the UK are now in favour of an extension to the Transition. How many have been surveyed, don't know. If not seen already see UK Gov petition calling for no extension: https://petition.parliament...

10. L Jones , Saturday, May 16, 2020, 19:10:

But it's words like this ''...not envisaged in the Political Declaration...'' that are so disquieting. What does that mean? Just because it wasn't ''envisaged'' doesn't mean we're not bound by it. Does it?
There was a lot wrong with TM's ''deal'' that BJ adopted with hardly any change, despite pledging (with many others) that it would be ''abandoned''. What happened to that particular pledge, then?